Every platform since PSOne defined by a single game

People are always talking about the games that define their generation. But GamesRadar is going to go one further than that. GamesRadar reckons that every big home platform has at least one game that sums up everything about that machine, good and bad.

GamesRadar's not just talking about the games that look the best, or introduced new gameplay mechanics. They're talking about games whose successes and failures actually act as metaphors for all that's right and wrong with their host platform. And they're not necessarily the ones you'd expect.

[Gradient]

There was no 'defining' game on PsOne or Ps2: There were defining gameS.

Final Fantasy 7, MGS, GTA3, Gran Turismo1&3, Uncharted 2, LittleBigPlanet.

Games, not game.

[rucky]

"They're talking about games whose successes and failures actually act as metaphors for all that's right and wrong with their host platform."

[t-dizzle]

a growing amount of people who comment without reading the article... congrats!!! Here is a slice of cake to celebrate your uncanny ability to avoid having to read in life!!! (please at least try it before you tell me it needs more lemon zest...)

[corneliuscrust]

par for the course here on n4g. good show

[Darkfocus]

every platform has multiple defining games and this article just seems full of fail. are you telling me that any of these games are the very best available on the system the game that people think about when they think about the platform, Mario sunshine, red steel,fallout all mediocre compared to some of the other games on the system,and LBP,RE and timesplitters aren't necessarily the best ps games because while excellent theres other titles that match up to them and surpass them. not to mention the writers completely absurd statement about pcs being "a frustrating hardware upgrade nightmare." I can upgrade any part in my rig in about 5 minutes and I can put together a whole new rig in less than 20min. and how is the ps3 or littlebigplanet "complicated to use to the point of frustration."/end rant

[RockmanII7]

I think your missing the point

[goflyakite]

Even the people on there site were confused with the article's point.

[FishCake9T4]

Lol. So funny.
360: Provide stacks of variety and loads of fun things to do.
Are technically a bit of a mess.
Bring you into contact with quite a lot of rubbish, unconvincing, and fairly irritating people you can shoot.

PS3:Are capable of stunningly beautiful visuals.
Are all about clever creativity.
Are complicated to use to the point of frustration.
Sold disappointingly at launch despite massive hype.

[Kleptic]

ok now I get it...I didn't understand how they were correlating the original Xbox and GTA: SA...or pretty much any of the titles and platforms...

for whatever reason it clicked better seeing you quote it than at the actual website...i'm slow apparently...

[AliTheBrit19]

Pretty bad list if you ask me!

[tunaks1]

terrible list,
just terrible

[Cajun Chicken]

Rubbish list.

[RockmanII7]

WTF is up with this site? You and Ali basically said the same thing and he gets 5 disagrees while you get 2 agrees. Would someone track someone else just to disagree with each one of there posts?

[Pumbli]

What? GTA SA for the Xbox made Sony fanboys sad?

Of course it looked a bit better on the Xbox but I loved my PS2 version, I loved it so much that I beat the game 3 times.

As for the original Xbox making Sony fanboys sad... Yeah, no.

Bad list.

[corneliuscrust]

because it just further cemented the fact that a new rival for sony was gaining a strong foothold in the industry. GTA series (as of III) used to be a playstation only thing.

[kingme71]

Funny comment

XBox360 - Fallout 3

"Bring you into contact with quite a lot of rubbish, unconvincing, and fairly irritating people you can shoot."

[The 10th Rider]

PS3:
"Both game and platform:

Are capable of stunningly beautiful visuals.
Are all about clever creativity.
Are complicated to use to the point of frustration.
Sold disappointingly at launch despite massive hype."
Are all about clever creativity? Yeah Right

[Psychonaughty]

I've never owned a ps console but the games I think of when pondering the three machines are as follows, ps = Wipeout, ps2 = GTA and finally ps3 = LBP. All British games I might add ;)

[gareno]

what a bad list i think,

n64 - goldeneye
xbox 360 - gears of war
xbox - halo
wii - wii sports
ps2 - god of war

[Mo0eY]

These are not the best games of each platform, just the best games that showcase the platform in the both the best and worse ways.

[mistajeff]

that's what i thought when i skimmed it over, but they're actually finding parallels between the game and the console in terms of the successes and failures of both. it actually makes a lot of sense for most of them. but if they were picking games that define each system, i'd agree with you in that i'd disagree with all of their choices.

[ikral]

Oh, Lord, this is unbelievable.

[Mo0eY]

Xbox 360
Summed up by: Fallout 3

Both game and platform:
Provide stacks of variety and loads of fun things to do.
Are technically a bit of a mess.
Bring you into contact with quite a lot of rubbish, unconvincing, and fairly irritating people you can shoot.
And the one he forgot to mention:
it's a multiplatform.

[B_Rian89]

did anyone here even read or understand the article besides a few of you?

[nnotdead]

not only didnt they read the article, but they also didnt read the comments. many people have already corrected peoples misconceptions of this article, but yet more come making the same dumb comments.

[Myze]

While it's fairly obvious a lot didn't read the article, that doesn't excuse that the title is clearly meant to cause argument.

[nnotdead]

yes the title can be misleading, but that can be overcome by reading the article. the comment section is meant for commenting the storys not the titles.

[s45gr32]

????

[GigaGaia]

Horrible list, Resident Evil is the last game I'd choose for PS1 on that list. Also, for the others, it's also all wrong.

[redDevil87]

It's NOT about the best game on the console that defines the console.

It's about using a game on that console to DESCRIBE the console.

Example from article: Resident Evil for PSone

Both game and platform:

Created a revelation in mature gaming.
Jumped out of the shadows and scared the crap out of everyone.
Shaped the future perception of gaming.
In hindsight, were a little bit scrappy compared to the competition.

^^^ That defines the game but also the console, which is the whole point of the article

I like the article

[Hot_tea]

And I'll wager you have no link to the Manchester in any way whatsoever, like 85% of your fans.

[mindedone]

Horrible Title. While technically appropriate, not many use the word "define" in such a way.

[Hot_tea]

I'm not even going to explain the level of failure that these choices are carrying.
OMFG, don't even click the link.

[Cernunnos]

No, just no...